


And Ranger Makes Three

by wrasslesmut



Category: Triple Frontier (2019)
Genre: F/M, having a dog with frankie is something that can be so personal, oh to be in a small cabin eating breakfast on the porch with a soft pilot, this is literally just fluff based on a dream
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:55:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23737933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrasslesmut/pseuds/wrasslesmut
Summary: A collection of fics about Frankie, Scout, and their pup Ranger
Relationships: Francisco "Catfish" Morales/Reader
Kudos: 30





	1. Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

> His goal was breakfast in bed, but a cold bedroom had other plans.

This was the third time this week you’d woken up alone. It was the chill of the room coupled with the lack of additional heat at your back that pulled you from sleep, because that combination meant that Frankie had gotten out of bed and opened a window somewhere in the house. The curtains were open, but it wasn’t a bedroom window this time, and you took a moment to admire the hues of the rising sun as you felt around the side of the bed for the flannel had had been carelessly tossed aside the night before.

Ranger, the lab mix you’d adopted just weeks ago, laid comfortably sprawled about along the end of the bed and you admired the pup’s ability to ignore the cold of the room while you pulled on the heavy flannel shirt to help protect you from the cold. A brown eye opened as you stood from the bed and watched as you quickly ran across the cold hardwood to slide into your slippers that rest by the doorway and you watched as he let out a yawn while you buttoned the shirt.

“C’mon buddy, lets go find your daddy.” You instructed, patting your bare thigh and grinning as you watched him roll over, stretch, then continue to stretch as he stepped down from the bed before following you out of the bedroom and down the stairs of the small cabin.

There you found Frankie standing at the stove, stirring eggs with one hand while a pan of bacon sizzled to the left. This was much better than what you had mentally prepared yourself for, and you couldn’t help but wrap your arm around his waist before grabbing his coffee mug and taking a drink while he complained about there being another mug and half a pot ready for you.

“I _was_ trying to surprise you with breakfast in bed,” Frankie comments, and you press a kiss to his spine as you let out a soft hum.

“I would’ve stayed in bed if somebody kept all the windows shut.”

“Waking up to the smell of burnt bacon is not the best way to start the day, honey,” He chides playfully, watching as you leave him to fix your own mug of coffee. “And you got to wake up for the sunrise like you wanted, you’re welcome.”

“You’re not sleeping,” You comment as you fix your coffee, looking over your shoulder to see him starting intently at the eggs in the pan as he continued to stir them. “We don’t have to talk about it now, but it’s a conversation I’d love to have.”

“After breakfast,” He assured, pointing towards the cupboard where the plates were kept and watching as you pulled two plates down and set them on the counter. “I have sweats on the couch if your legs are cold.”

“Ever the provider,” You murmur with a smile, patting his back as you walk by him towards the small living room of the cabin. There you see that Ranger has made himself comfortable on the couch, the supposed “guard dog” laid on his back with all four paws high in the air and Frankie’s black sweatpants and serving as his pillow. You know you’ll disrupt the dog; but your legs are cold, and Ranger has proven himself to be an expert at falling asleep, so you murmur an apology to your disrupted fur child as you gingerly lift his head and pull the pants from under him.

It takes a second to get the drawstring of the pants adjusted (hopefully this time with a knot that Frankie wouldn’t need a knife to loosen), and you turn while rolling the waistband to fix the length of the pants to see him holding a tray with your plates and mugs.

“Grab the blanket for me?”

“We’re eating outside?” You ask, pulling the quilt from the back of the couch and following Frankie out the front door of the cabin. You watch as he sets the tray down first before sitting beside it, then hand him the quilt while you take your seat beside him.

“I hope you don’t mind too much, we can’t really see the sunrise from the table inside.” He murmurs, suddenly shy, as he drapes the quilt over your laps before handing you your coffee and plate. It amazes you that the man who was so bold last night could be so bashful about eating breakfast outside, but that was Frankie, and you wouldn’t have him any other way – regardless of how he felt about that.

“I mean it is pretty _intimate_ ,” You shrug, picking up a piece of bacon and taking a bite. “Not sure if our relationship is ready for that. What’s next, holding hands?”

He laughs at that, and your heart feels lighter knowing that whatever has been keeping him up at night isn’t closing him off from you. Maybe it was something small that he just needed to talk through but didn’t have the words for? It was easy to sit and listen to Frankie talk, his head in your lap while you ran your fingers through his hair and knowing that he just needed you to be there.

“Relax your jaw, you’ll give yourself a headache,” Frankie comments, bringing you out of your thoughts and back to the reality that was your breakfast and your boyfriend in the crisp morning air. “Bacon for your thoughts?”

“You know you’re cute enough that you can have them for free.”

“A relationship is about giving and taking, but we’ve gotta share those roles.”

“You gave me breakfast, and I will give you my thoughts,” You shrug, prodding at your eggs to get some onto your fork as he shakes his head with a smile. “I honestly was just thinking about how nice it is to hear you laugh.”

“That’s…” He starts, looking forward to the rising sun as he lets out a hum. “Honestly unexpected. Sure you’re feeling okay?”

“Might be catching a cold from the window being left open, but you should know by now that I love everything about you.”

“I’m gonna hear about the windows for the rest of my life.”

“Absolutely.” You nod, your gaze not leaving his profile as you both continue to eat. You know he’s thinking now, the implications of your words and his will be on his mind for weeks. But that’s what Frankie does – he _thinks_. Sometimes far too much and much too deep, making mountains out of the molehills in his mind, but you did love that about him.

It isn’t long before Ranger is at Frankie’s side and you scoot closer to box him in. Your head on his shoulder and hand held tightly in his as you continue to watch the sunrise from the porch of the cabin you’d be at for another week. There was plenty of time to discuss Frankie’s lack of sleep, but for now you just wanted to exist with him and your dog. The rest of the world and the problems that came with it could wait, as far as you were concerned, and you knew by the way Frankie kissed your temple and gave your hand a squeeze that he agreed.

“Looks like we’ll get rain today.” He commented, bringing your attention to the approaching dark cloud.

“That just means more time inside making out on the couch.” You answered with a smile, looking back at him in time to receive a kiss on the corner of your lips that was likely meant for your cheek. “A little rain never hurt anyone.”


	2. New Addition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frankie and Scout adopt Ranger

It’d always been in Frankie’s life plan to get a dog. He hadn’t had one as a child; but his neighbor did, and he remembered making friends with the girl solely to be able to play with her dog after school. His parents always had a great reason why he couldn’t have his own dog, and it always boiled down to who was going to take care of his responsibility. He didn’t have the time with school, extra curricular activities, and a job, and his parents certainly weren’t going to take care of the dog they didn’t want. He couldn’t have a dog in college, and he damn sure couldn’t have one in the military.

But now? 

He was out and had a great girlfriend that he saw himself raising a dog with. Together they had plenty of free time to train a dog and keep it occupied and well-loved and, now that they lived together in a townhouse that was larger than both of their apartments combined, he knew it was time to ask her if they could get a dog.

And now, as she lay on the couch with her head on his thigh, was the perfect time. She’d just woken up from a post-sex nap, had eaten some of the ice cream he’d surprised her with, and he’d already ordered dinner so she wouldn’t have to cook. Was he buttering her up? Absolutely, but he wanted a dog badly enough that he was willing to do whatever he needed to do to get her to agree.

“Hey babe,” he starts, waiting for her to respond as he gently runs his fingers across her forehead. She hums, and he smiles as she looks up at him, taking his hand in hers and moving it so it rest on her stomach. “I’ve been thinking, and we said we’d talk about it more when we moved into a bigger place, a-and I think we might be ready.”

“Ready for what?” she asks, moving his hand away from her stomach and instead resting their joined hands on his thigh beside her head. “Frankie, I-“

“I want to get a dog, babe, not have a kid.” he clarifies, smiling when she lets out a small laugh and he feels the tension leave her shoulders. “But can we do that one day, too?”

“Put a ring on it first, then we’ll talk babies Francisco.” she grins, grabbing her phone from the coffee table and quickly unlocking it to open her internet browser. “So, we’re adopting?”

“Absolutely. I’d prefer a younger dog that we can name and train, but an old man wouldn’t be too bad either if one catches your eye.”

“Roger that,” she mumbled, and he returns his attention to the TV while she took to scrolling through a web page. “Shelter in town is doing an adoption event this weekend.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm, and they have this darling little boy,” she informed, raising her phone to his eye level so he could look at the puppy. “Apparently he doesn’t have a name yet, Frankie.”

“I think he looks like a Ranger,”

“We haven’t even met the dog yet, babe.”

“Yeah but I feel it in my gut, that’s our Ranger.” Frankie stated proudly, looking down to see her grinning up at him as he moved his free hand from the arm of the couch so he could cup her cheek. “Do you not like the name?”

“Based on the photo, I’m sure it’s fitting,” she assured, turning her head to press a kiss to his palm while maintaining his eye contact. “Just like Scout ended up fitting me.”

“I’ve told you, hermosa, I’ve got a talent for this kind of stuff.”

“Sure thing, Catfish.”

“Hey, I didn’t pick that one.” he defended, releasing her cheek in favor of tickling her neck and delighting in the laughter that erupted from her at his antics.

To say that Frankie was excited in the coming days would have been an understatement. Every day she came home from work to find a different dog related item in the house and her boyfriend nearby almost as if fiddling with the objects would make the puppy he so dearly wanted would materialize in the townhouse. Wednesday brought a food and water bowl, complete with a matching mat for the bowls that made its home in the kitchen, with Frankie walking past it to make sure it wouldn’t be easy to trip over. On Thursday, a dog bed with a couple new blankets in the corner of their bedroom, and Frankie fast asleep on the floor using them as his pillow. Friday had a little black bandana sitting on the counter beside a collar and a leash – both an army green and ready for Ranger to come home, with Frankie leaning against the counter with two beers and dinner in the oven.

Saturday had her waking up to her coffee already made and in a travel mug, with her clothes set out at the foot of the bed and her boyfriend trying to look casual as he leaned in the doorway but she could tell that he was trying really hard to be patient. But the patting against his leg and the way he was checking his watch told her all she needed to know as she sat up and stretched a bit.

“Let me go brush my teeth,” she requested, smile on her face as she rolled out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. “When does the shelter open?”

“An hour,” Frankie answered, sheepish smile on his face when she stepped out and stared him down with a raised eyebrow while brushing her teeth. “I want to be there when they open, make sure nobody gets to him first.”

She nods, giving him a thumbs up before returning to the bathroom to go through her morning routine. Frankie had wanted a dog his whole life, so she couldn’t bring herself to be annoyed with his excitement that he was finally getting one. She was pretty stoked about bringing in a new baby that didn’t require her getting pregnant just yet, and seeing Frankie get excited about something was incredibly rare as it was, but she dearly hoped that he was stopping on the way to the shelter for some kind of quick breakfast.

“There’s an egg mcmuffin in it for you if you’re ready to go in ten,” he called from the bedroom, putting a skip in her step as she left the bathroom to go get dressed.

She wasn’t sure that she’d know what to do if Frankie’s dream dog wasn’t there, but thankfully she didn’t have to worry about it. They were first through the door, Frankie immediately asking about the lab mix puppy before eagerly pulling her along to the back kennel where their puppy awaited.

It was purely magnetic. The puppy needed only a moment to stare them down before bounding over, trying his best to stand on his back paws to jump at Frankie while she watched with her phone on standby for the perfect picture of her boyfriend and his dream come true. 

“Babe, we’ve got papers to sign so we can take him home,” she commented, watching with a smile as he finally picked up the pup to carry him out. “Our little Ranger?”

“A hundred percent.” Frankie spoke softly, smiling as Ranger excitedly licked at his face. “We need to get dog food for him.”

“You didn’t get food when you got the bowls?”

“Wasn’t sure what he ate,” He commented, tilting his head at an awkward angle to avoid more licking. “so, I thought it’d be best to wait.”

“Yeah true.” She leaned against the counter as she spoke, smiling as she took a photo of her boyfriend and their new baby while they waited for the paperwork. “You guys are the cutest.”

“I’m positive you’d look cuter with him, but I’ll accept the compliment.”

After a longer trip to the pet store than either of them had anticipated, she was relieved to be able to lay on the couch while she listened to Frankie give Ranger a tour of the townhouse. This was most likely the best day of her life, probably second to when he met her (if she wanted to be cocky), and she was more than happy to share that with him start to finish, but right now, she was tired, and laying on the couch was a much-needed break from all the activity of the day. Until she heard the little pitter patter of paws against the stairs and she turned her head to see Ranger stop in front of the couch before yipping at her.

“You don’t even have a real bark yet, buddy,” she teased the pup, watching as he attempted to jump up onto the couch a couple times and laughing when he finally made it up but almost fell backwards due to one of his paws not having the grip he needed to stay steady. From there he worked to climb onto her, where she silently prayed that he didn’t pee on her as he got comfortable laying on her chest as she heard Frankie make his way down the stairs.

“I’d ask about whether you want him on the furniture, but I see he’s already comfortable,” he comments, looking down at the duo on the couch and smiling when they both looked up at him.

“Ranger Santiago Morales, our first child,” she murmured, kissing the pup on the side of his muzzle before looking up at Frankie as he laughed while taking a picture of them. “And what’s so funny?”

“That’s so cruel, babe.” Frankie answered, kneeling in front of his lady and their new addition and gently placing his hand on Ranger’s back in hopes of not waking him up.

“To Pope?” she asks, pulling his hat off his head and tossing it to the side so she could run her hand through his hair.

“To Ranger!” he laughed, sparking a round of laugher out of her before they both looked to the puppy as he yawned. “Naming him after that pain in my ass, cruel to the boy on day one.”

“Oh, he knows I love him, wouldn’t be laying here like this if I didn’t. Huh, buddy?” Her question was pointed at Ranger, and they both smiled as he scooted up her body and tucked his muzzle into the crook of her neck. “See? Best friends already.”

“I’m a bit jealous, though,” Frankie murmured, gently nudging her cheek with his knuckle as she rose an eyebrow. “If he cuddles with you like this every night, when do I get to cuddle with my Scout?”

“Daytime?”

“You work,”

“Before dinner, and maybe after if you’re a good boy.” she teased, ruffling his hair until he caught her wrist so he could press a kiss to her palm. “But, I suppose, we’ll need to train him to actually sleep in his bed. And in general.”

“True.”

“Do you know how to train a dog? Because I certainly don’t.”

“I spent a lot of time watching the Special Forces dogs get trained, and I have a friend who can give us a hand if needed.” he explained, watching as she nods slowly in understanding. “But I think he’ll be easy since he’s still so young. We just have to be firm in the beginning and then we can be the big ol’ softies that we are.”

“Can we play ‘good cop bad cop’? Because I don’t know that I can be firm with this sweet little face.”

“I’ve been told maternal instincts come naturally; you’ll be scolding him in no time.”

“Like your mom did to you?”

“Only I pray you don’t threaten him with una chancleta.”

“Never.” she laughed, stroking his cheek with her thumb until he took her hand in his. “I love you, Francisco Morales.”

“And I love you,” he mumbled, kissing along her knuckles while he continued to watch his lifelong dream unfold in front of him. “Thank you, for being with me and taking this step with me.”

“Of course, Frankie. But I need you to do me a favor,” she murmured, giving his hand a squeeze to the best of her ability and smiling when he squeezed back, whispering “Anything” into her skin before pressing another kiss to her hand. “Can you pick up your son? I have to pee.”

“Here I was thinking you were going to ask me to die for you,” Frankie teased, picking up Ranger as he stood and cradling the pup to his chest before holding a hand out for her to take so he could pull her to her feet. 

“Would you?”

“I’d do anything for you,” He murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple before letting her hand go. “Do your business, we’ll be here.”


	3. Casualties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having a new puppy leads to a fair bit of casualites around the house

Ranger had been an adventure to say the least. At this point, being three months in with the new baby, the total casualties thus far were five pairs of shoes, two coffee mugs, six pillows, the stuffed bear Frankie had gotten Scout for Valentine’s Day, a couple hats, and the horrendous vase her mother had gotten them as a housewarming gift. That last one didn’t really count as a “casualty” to Frankie but it had made it onto the whiteboard because it was something that wasn’t supposed to be broken, and he couldn’t argue with his Scout.

And now, as he stared at the little whiteboard (that was originally bought for meal planning), he realized that their puppy was being much too quiet. Suspicious, Frankie left the kitchen and looked towards the staircase, only to see that Ranger was contentedly laying on the landing with yet another casualty in his mouth. It’s with a sigh that he goes to retrieve the picture frame that had been sitting on his nightstand, gently scolding Ranger in Spanish as he does, before going back to the kitchen to add the newest casualty category to the board.

Picture frames: |

“What are we going to do with you, buddy?” he asks, setting the frame down on the counter before kneeling in front of the pouting puppy. “Your mama gave that to me, and she will not be happy to come home to see that was chewed on.”

The only response he got was more pouting, before Ranger moved to sit between his legs and pressed his nose into Frankie’s shirt. This had Frankie in a dilemma, because clearly Ranger was very sorry for what he’d done, and he couldn’t be mad at the puppy for long.

“Yeah, okay, I guess it’s time to call in the big guns because clearly we’re too soft,” he comments, picking up Ranger as he stands and cradling the puppy to his chest. “We’ll order dinner from that Thai place your mama loves, soften her up before we tell her about the picture frame.”

**

“How upset are you about the picture frame?” His question is soft, so much so that she almost didn’t hear him over the sound of the shower. She pokes her head out of the curtain, seeing that he’s sitting on the toilet seat with a towel in his hands with that nervous smile on his face. “Scale of one to ten.”

“Negative two,” she responds, smiling when his eyes narrow slightly as he tries to figure out whether she’s serious or not as she returns to scrubbing the conditioner out of her hair. “Babe I probably got that frame at Walmart or the dollar store, and the photo is fine so I’m honestly not worried.”

“You sure?”

“Wouldn’t have agreed to a puppy if I wasn’t ready to replace some shit,” she confirms, shutting off the shower and accepting the towel he handed over. “Fresh out of the dryer? Francisco, you spoil me.”

“You deserve to be spoiled, nena,” he murmurs, watching as she wraps the towel around her body before bending over a bit to wring her hair out. “Do you think a human baby would be easier?”

“Probably not, they grow up and learn to talk back,” Scout answers as she takes his offered hand so he could help her out of the tub. Her cheeks warm when he brings her hand to his lips and presses delicate kisses against her still-damp skin, and she has to question how she got so lucky to have Frankie in her life. “How big do you think Ranger will get?”

“Probably about sixty pounds,” his answer is certain, and she nods with a small smile as he leads her out of the bathroom. Right now, Ranger napping in the middle of their bed is no big deal since he doesn’t take up much space. In about a year, she knows she’s going to have to rearrange his sleeping position so she can sit on the side of the bed and towel off properly.

It’s quiet between them for a moment as she continues to dry off, Frankie on the bed behind her and gently dragging his finger along her spine. She knows he’s probably thinking way too hard about the picture frame (and all of the other casualties their puppy had claimed), but she doesn’t bring it up again because she knows that she can’t stop him from feeling bad about it. Frankie was really good at weighing himself down with minor issues, and she let him because she’d rather have him fretting over a picture frame or a pair of shoes instead of the ghosts of his past and his time in the service.

“I’m taking him with me when I go hiking with the guys tomorrow,” he comments, breaking the silence and smiling when she looks over her shoulder at him. “Benny’s stoked to see the little guy and Will’s bringing his dog so Ranger will have a friend.”

“That’ll be fun, and will definitely wear out our little rascal,” she smiles, watching as Ranger moves to lay his head on Frankie’s thigh. “Does Will want to train this one?”

“Nah, but I did call a friend. Starting Monday Ranger has puppy school,” He informed, watching his Scout carefully as she processed that.

“Puppy school, or military puppy school?”

“It’ll be a little bit of both? Richie isn’t going to teach him how to sniff out bombs or anything crazy,” he assures, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze as she nods her understanding. “I don’t want him to become an attack dog.”

“I know you don’t, Frankie,” she comments, leaning back against him and letting out a small laugh when he braces his arm across her chest to bring her down with him as he falls back onto the mattress. Ranger perks up at the activity and scrambles onto Frankie’s chest, eager to get up to his parents faces and investigate the commotion, which has Frankie grunting out a quiet “oof” at the feeling of four paws repeatedly pressing into various points of his sternum. “Please bring him home exhausted tomorrow, babe.”

“That is the goal, one hundred percent.” He grins into her hair, letting out a soft grunt when the puppy flops into a laying position on his chest.

***

“So, this is the little rascal?” Will asks, watching with interest as Frankie sets the puppy down on the dirt before locking up his truck. Immediately Ranger runs towards Will’s much larger German Shepard as the two men meet in a hug. “It’s good to see you, man.”

“Likewise,” Frankie grins, patting Will on the back as they separate before gesturing to his puppy. “But yeah, that’s Ranger.”

“He’s cute, your pick or the lady’s?” Benny asks as he pulls Frankie into a hug, and Frankie lets them know that Ranger was his pick as Tom’s truck pulls into a parking space with Santiago following right after. “And how is she?”

“She’s good, catching up on some much-needed peace and quiet at the house,” he explains, stopping Santiago from stealing his hat before bringing his friend into a headlock and teasing him in Spanish.

“Holy shit he’s a puppy puppy,” Tom comments, kneeling down to greet Ranger as Frankie releases Santiago before whipping at him with Ranger’s leash. “Is he going to survive the hike?”

“Little guy needs to get worn out, man,” Frankie laughs, fixing his hat as Ranger settles at his feet. “We thought we got a dog but instead we got the fuckin’ energizer bunny.”

“Oh, he’ll mellow out in about six months, probably,” Will laughs, watching with a laugh as Ranger bolted for Roscoe again. “Might mellow out today if Roscoe has his way.”

“He’s got full permission to put Ranger on his ass,” Frankie assures, catching Ranger when he ran by so he could clip the leash onto his harness.

Ranger kept pace for most of the first half of the hike; occasionally getting sidetracked by plants on the side, other hikers, Santiago’s boots, and his very large new friend Roscoe. Once they reached the peak, Frankie unclipped Ranger’s leash and watched as the puppy looked around before slowly creeping over to the patch of grass that Roscoe was laying on before he eventually laid down next to his large friend. Frankie was quick to take a photo that he could send to Scout, flipping off Santiago when his friend made a joke about how “whipped” the pilot was.

“She named him after you, y’know,” Frankie laughed, catching the beer that Benny tossed him as Santiago stared at him with the obvious question in his eyes. “Ranger Santiago Morales. I thought it was fuckin’ cruel to give him your name opposed to Ben or Will, but she can be very convincing.”

“You named your fucking dog after me and not your first-born son?” Santiago asks as he opens his beer, watching as Frankie only shrugs before taking a pull from his. “That is disrespectful, but he’s cute so I’ll let it slide.”

“Yeah, he looks just like you Pope!” Benny laughs, sparking a round of boisterous laughter from the group as Santiago sulks from his seat on a rock.

As if sensing that he wasn’t the center of attention anymore; Ranger slowly stands from his position next to Roscoe and happily trots over to sit in front of Frankie, who grabs the little plastic bowl from his bag and fills it with water before setting it down in front of the puppy and giving the top of his head a little scratch. After that moment, he hadn’t really considered the whereabouts of his puppy until Santiago made a comment about being so happy to be with his brothers that he didn’t even notice that his foot had been in a puddle.

It was then that Frankie realized that Ranger had been quiet, too quiet for him to not be suspicious. The puppy needed the attention to survive, and he only got quiet when he knew he’d be in trouble. A glance to his left had him locating his puppy, laying down quietly with his back to the group, and then he looked to Santiago’s feet.

That wasn’t a puddle.

His dog peed on Santiago’s foot.

And instead of being mortified like any respectable pet owner, Frankie was proud.

“Not to burst your bubble, Pope, but you’re gonna need a new pair of boots.” Will chuckled, noticing the way Frankie was working really hard to hold in his laughter while he held Ranger close to his chest. “Your four-legged twin over there pissed on your foot.”

“Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding!” Pope whined, which had Frankie laughing into Ranger’s back as Benny ran over to get a high five from the puppy. “You’re paying for these.”

“He’s a dog, he doesn’t have money!” Tom laughed, as Frankie texted Scout with the best update he could possibly provide.

‘Do me a favor and add Pope’s hiking boots to the casualty list. We aren’t replacing them but I’m damn proud of our boy’


	4. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> when frankie met scout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally headcanon that Frankie helped out with flying lessons after he got out of the military and before he got caught doing coke. A disclaimer: I know fuck all about how people actually face their fears and even less about planes so let’s all agree to suspend reality for the length of this fic, yeah?

Destination weddings should be illegal.

That was the only thing on her mind as she sat in the parking lot for the local airfield. Yeah, Hawai’i in the summer sounded really nice, but why would you intentionally pick a wedding destination that required a flight when you knew your maid of honor was terrified of planes? Kinda rude, if you asked her. But her love for her cousin outweighed her fear of planes, and she knew she had to woman up and get over it.

Which is why she was at the airfield. They offered flying lessons, and she figured that being in a small plane and learning how planes worked would help her get over it and reduce her need to be sedated for her upcoming trip across the ocean. Of course, when she explained this to the man behind the counter at the airfield, he looked confused. Maybe it was at her logic, but she’d accept that because she knew this was a stupid idea and potentially a waste of her money. At least at the end of the day, he’d get a good laugh to share with his buddies and she’d get to say she tried something new so it wouldn’t be a total loss.

“It’s certainly a pickle you’re in,” he spoke with a slight chuckle, picking up his phone so he could presumably send a text. “But I know just the guy who can help you. He’s a helluva lot more patient than I am and a better flight instructor too!”

“Really?” she asks, leaning against the counter and smiling as the man sets his phone down.

“Yeah, he’s on his way over right now, so if you head out that side door you should walk right into him.” She interpreted that as him shooing her away, so she gave her thanks before heading out the side door in search of the flight instructor who’d be cursed with her. 

She just didn’t think he meant that she’d literally walk right into the guy.

Steady hands gripped her hip and her upper arm, successfully keeping her from falling back onto the ground and bringing her attention from her clouded thoughts and up to the man who held her. She dearly hoped that this wasn’t her instructor, because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to focus on getting over her fear if she was continuously distracted by his handsome face.

“I’m assuming you’re the aerophobe Gus mentioned?” he asked as he steadied her, making sure she was balanced before letting go and offering his right hand for her to shake. “I’m Frankie.”

She shook his hand and introduced herself, but she was way too focused on his face to really register that he’d told her what his name was. But she did let go of his hand before the handshake got weird, which was enough to be proud of on this afternoon. Were his parents aware of the masterpiece they’d created? Maybe one day she’d get to ask.

“Yeah, I’m not trying to get a certification or anything like that,” she started, just the thought of flying a plane making her a little bit anxious for what was to come. “I just feel like if I know how the plane works, I will survive the flight to Hawai’i with minimal stress.”

“What’s in Hawai’i?” he asks, turning back towards the hangars. He’s not looking directly at her, but she knows that he’s listening if the look on his face and occasional nod were anything to go off of. But, even without those clues, she trusted that this man wasn’t a complete asshole only in it for the money he’d make off of letting her sit in a plane with him a few times.

There’s a plane sitting out apart from the others, and she listens closely as Frankie explains that he was just working with that one and that this was the plane they’d be with the most. It wasn’t his, and he admits so with a smile that was bordering on envious, but he was trusted with it so he got to do whatever he wanted with it. She figured that was enough for her to believe that this guy was one of the best, if she hadn’t already been enamored by his gentle voice and reassuring smiles. 

“She’s no airliner, but I love this plane,” he smiles, giving the side a gentle tap as he watches her take it in. He wasn’t an expert in facing fears, but he knew that she would need to get comfortable being near a plane before she could ever get in one or be flown around in one. “P92 Taildragger, Italian made. Smooth ride, but we won’t be going in the air today.”

“No?” she asks quietly, looking at him got the first time since approaching the plane. The additional question of why they wouldn’t be flying was unspoken but clearly there, but she knew that he’d have a good reason.

“You’re shaking just standing next to this thing,” he commented, placing his hand over her trembling one where it sat on the plane. “Putting you in the air today would be way too much for you, and I’m not going to ask you to do anything you clearly aren’t ready for.”

“Shouldn’t fears be faced head on?”

“Not when you prepaid for six sessions and don’t even want to learn how to fly. My goal is to get you comfortable and in the air in three, and get you refunded for the other three.”

“You really think you can do it in three?” His confidence was surprising to her, but she supposed he probably had dealt with cases similar to hers before. Or at the very least did well in stressful situations, and she knew putting her in an aircraft would be a stressful situation for both of them. “Not that I doubt you, it just feels…”

“Ambitious?” Frankie asks, grinning when she nods her agreement. “I think with you it’s all mental, so once we get passed your personal roadblock, I think getting you in this thing and up in the air will be a cake walk.”

“How are you going to-?”

“What’s your concern with getting on a plane? Is it the height, crashing, claustrophobia, or something else?” he lists, watching as she bites her lip nervously and feeling her fingers start tapping against the plane under his hand. “Please don’t be nervous, I’m here to help you and can promise that your answer is safe with me.”

“It just feels so stupid,” she groans, avoiding his gaze when he raises an eyebrow at her statement. “You gotta promise that you’ll participate in the ‘no judge challenge’ on this one.”

“On my honor,” he assures, applying gentle pressure to her hand when he feels it start to tremble beneath his again. “Hey, relax, you’re in a safe spot right now.”

“It’s not the height,” she starts, taking a moment to collect herself, and he feels his brain start to short circuit when she bites at her lip as she thinks. I just don’t really get how they work and that freaks me out. Plus; they’re big, and could crash, and I watched ‘LOST’ which really didn’t help.”

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he certainly wasn’t expecting that combination of factors to be the cause of her fear. LOST, really? He didn’t even watch the show, but he knew that the plane crash was probably one of the smallest issues they dealt with. But he knew he could get her over this fear, since it was cemented in a lack of understanding and supported by some TV show that he could probably debunk if he cared enough to watch it. He’d also give her some homework to watch plane-positive media and not disaster shows.

“So, you’re afraid of the uncertainty you have about planes?” he asks after his moment of careful consideration, adjusting his hat before he takes his hand off of hers so he can give her a tour of the aircraft. He’d need time to really ponder that LOST thing, because he was certain it was all a dream in the end. “That’s something I can handle for sure.”

“You do well under stress?”

“I was a pilot in the special forces for the military,” he responded, giving the plane a tap and smiling when she gives a slow nod. “High stress situations are an old friend of mine.”

“I honestly doubt I’ll be that stressful for you, so I think we’ve already made a bit of progress.”

And it was when she smiled at him, with a bit more confidence than she’d had less than a minute ago, that he’s actually excited for this challenge Gus blessed him with. Even if her reasoning was a bit…interesting, he knew she was smart and that she’d be cooperative because she knew what she had signed up for. She had some trust in him, and that would be the most important part.

It was only a major benefit that she was beautiful, too.


End file.
